Cath lab at Kozhikode General Hospital shuts down over pending payment to suppliers

Kozhikode: With sellers of the medical equipment refusing to accept part-payment of their dues, the cath lab at the Government General Hospital (Beach Hospital) Kozhikode will remain closed for now.  

A meeting between health officials and representatives of suppliers at the District Medical Officer's office failed to find a solution after merchants rejected to accept a month's dues.  

The suppliers demanded authorities to clear dues for at least four months as they have not been paid for the past nine months. The outstanding amount has mounted to Rs 3 crore for the purchase of different kinds of medical devices and equipment for the cath lab, the suppliers said.

After suppliers stopped distributing equipment for surgeries, the cath lab has shut down completely since Wednesday.  

"It has now become a norm; we have to hold a strike to get our dues. This is the third time since April 2021 that we are going on a strike. There seems to be no proper system of accounting and billing. This too is creating lots of problems for us,” said Sangeeth, a representative of the equipment suppliers.

Cath lab, set up at an initial cost of Rs 11 crore, started functioning in April 2021. Two cardiologists, their assistants, nurses and the rest of the staff work at the facility which is attached to the ICU.

“A total of 11 companies, including suppliers and manufacturers distribute equipment to the lab which are used to treat cardiac diseases. We got the payment properly during the first two months only. After that we had to go on strike whenever arrears mounted,” another company executive said.

District Medical Officer Dr Rajaram cited lack of funds as the reason for burgeoning arrears. "We were ready to pay Rs 33 lakh for September 2022. But supply company representatives are not ready. We can't offer more than that for now as we are awaiting a long-pending amount from Karunya benevolent fund, from the lottery department. We also expect health insurance payouts,” he explained.

Representing the health department, the DMO and the superintendent of Beach Hospital attended the meeting. Besides Sangeeth, E J Saneesh and Lijesh represented the suppliers in the meeting.

As there was not enough equipment like stents, balloons and so on at the lab, the hospital cannot undertake procedures like angioplasty, angiogram and pacemaker implantation in the cath Lab.

Normally four heart surgeries were done at the hospital on a daily basis. Now cardiac patients with dates fixed for surgeries are having to postpone.

Emergency patients complaining of chest pain and suchlike are not being admitted to the hospital as well.